Valve cover removal

[johnkpjm]

I'm trying to remove the valve cover to do the gasket replacement. It's ready to come off but I can't for the life of me find how it's meant to come out, it's hitting the bulkhead and doesn't have enough clearance to lift over the head to slide out.

What's the trick to removing it or am I retarded? Not new to BMW's, this had me so stumped I searched online all night and can't find a specific n55 135i e82 valve cover replacement DIY that covers it and ended up signing up here for an answer or to be roasted.

[Petro135]

Wont get roasted here its a pretty casual group. I hope your cowl is off and i always take the passenger side strut bar off for better access and zip tie up the big wire looms that run across the engine. I get a big ziptie and tie them to the windshield washer arm. Then just grab the back of the cover and pull it up and over. But i drive an n54 so it might be different

[scratchgolf135]

Yea I just did this over the weekend on my N54. Is took a lot of wrestling it to get it past the hard line that’s by the rear left corner of the VC. No trick that I could find just had to keep lifting and shifting in different way til it came out.

[drwillb]

N55 is different. You'll need to remove the passenger side wiper and then the plastic trim pieces along the firewall. I used a small gear puller to get the wiper off. Wasted 3 hours trying to wiggle it out with no success until I found this tip somewhere online. No need to do this on the 3 series.

[johnkpjm]

Originally Posted by drwillb

N55 is different. You'll need to remove the passenger side wiper and then the plastic trim pieces along the firewall. I used a small gear puller to get the wiper off. Wasted 3 hours trying to wiggle it out with no success until I found this tip somewhere online. No need to do this on the 3 series.

Thanks, I did wonder if that was going to give me more clearance. I'll give that a go today

[ferocity02]

Originally Posted by drwillb

N55 is different. You'll need to remove the passenger side wiper and then the plastic trim pieces along the firewall. I used a small gear puller to get the wiper off. Wasted 3 hours trying to wiggle it out with no success until I found this tip somewhere online. No need to do this on the 3 series.

This. You can do it without removing the passenger wiper, but it's easier if you do. I've done it both ways.

[TridenTBoy]

Originally Posted by drwillb

N55 is different. You'll need to remove the passenger side wiper and then the plastic trim pieces along the firewall. I used a small gear puller to get the wiper off. Wasted 3 hours trying to wiggle it out with no success until I found this tip somewhere online. No need to do this on the 3 series.

Doing this right now and I'm literally looking at it and like, "There's no way to get this valve cover to clear. The windshield wiper and all the metal near it needs to be gone. How the fuck?" I have a 135is - which is a 2013 with an N55. I have a convertible E88 on top of this.

So frustrating because people kept saying, "Your valve cover should just come off easily after undoing the bolts" but mine *did NOT*. I had to pry it off. It was just stuck on there from 80k of hard driving and lots of oil leaking/burning.

Don't believe everything you read/see online I guess.

[wootloops]

Yeah it does NOT come in/out very easily. I also removed the entire plastic windshield cowl, the one that surrounds the wipers (which also required removing the wiper blades).

This is the best guide for it. There's some extra steps at the beginning that add maybe 20 min of work, but you'll thank yourself for having the extra space to get it in and out.

https://www.rmeuropean.com/bmw-e90-v...placement.aspx

[TWO STEP TEX]

Originally Posted by TridenTBoy

Doing this right now and I'm literally looking at it and like, "There's no way to get this valve cover to clear. The windshield wiper and all the metal near it needs to be gone. How the fuck?" I have a 135is - which is a 2013 with an N55. I have a convertible E88 on top of this.

So frustrating because people kept saying, "Your valve cover should just come off easily after undoing the bolts" but mine *did NOT*. I had to pry it off. It was just stuck on there from 80k of hard driving and lots of oil leaking/burning.

Don't believe everything you read/see online I guess.

Same. I changed mine and had to pry it off. Removed the brace and just took deep breaths as I wiggled it out. Then you have to get it back in without jacking up the gasket or breaking the small plastic pieces hanging down. I did soooo mich research beforehand so I didn't really have any surprises.